A Matter of Perspective
by CarvingKnife
Summary: Sometimes, all it takes is a different perspective to see that what you have is all that you need. Byakuya and Renji each discover this on their birthdays. ByaRen fluffyness!
1. The Man Who Has Everything

**A/N: Happy Birthday Byakuya Kuchiki! I had this posted last January for Byakuya's birthday, but I recently decided to add a second chapter to go along with Renji's birthday. I made a few changes to this first chapter, so even if you've already read it, read through it again! Anyways, reviews are gorgeous and amazing and I love them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. i just toy with the characters a bit.  
**

"What do you get the man who has everything?"

Renji Abarai couldn't help but ask himself this very question over and over again as he stared at his meager paycheck. It was beginning to drive him nuts. Byakuya's birthday was right around the corner, and he didn't even know what gift to get him. A new sakura sapling? No, he has plenty of sakura trees scattered about his estate. Beside's, there's always at least one person who gets him that every year. Clothes? Ha! As if anything Renji could afford would be better than what his captain wears on a day to day basis. Chocolate? Not a bad idea . . . except that Byakuya hates sweets.

"Ooh! I bet Kuchiki Taichou would love this!"

The redhead turned to see what Yumichika had found, only to discover him holding up two delicate-looking combs set with rubies and pearls. Renji frowned.

"Yumichika, those are more your style than my Taichous," he pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" the feathered man pouted, cradling his find. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, for starters, they're for women," Renji rolled his eyes. "Plus, there's no way I can afford it."

Yumichika looked thoughtful for a moment before placing the combs in his own hair and admiring his reflection in a nearby mirror. The sixth division lieutenant almost regretted asking the vain shinigami for help, but he was honestly just glad he didn't have to search around alone.

"What about this?" Yumichika called out from behind him.

"No," Renji replied without even turning around.

* * *

After hours of shopping, Renji found himself back at the sixth division for an early dinner in the cafeteria. He had managed to return empty handed, while Yumichika had bought both combs and a new silk kimono. How that man managed to pay for it all was a mystery.

Renji pounded his head on the table in frustration, causing people to stare from around the cafeteria. If there were ever anything that Byakuya would want, he could just as easily go out and get it himself, making it nigh impossible for anyone to decide on a proper present.

"Renji? What are you doing?" The sixth division lieutenant glanced up from where his face rested on the table to discover Rukia staring at him with a raised brow. That's it! Perhaps his childhood friend would have some idea as to the inner workings of her brother's mind.

"What do you get the man who has everything?" Renji asked simply.

"Ah," Rukia smiled knowingly, taking a seat across from the redhead. "You can't think of what to get Nii-sama for his birthday, can you?" Renji just nodded, face still connected to the wood of the table. "Well," the petite shinigami continued, placing a hand on her chin sagely, "I always just get him a new sakura sapling . . ."

If Renji's face could slam any deeper into the hard surface below him, it would have. "That doesn' exactly help."

"I don't think it really matters what you get him," Rukia shrugged, ignoring the aura of defeat leaking out of her old friend's reiatsu. "Just give him something that comes from the heart."

"You sure he would go for that?"

The female shinigami rolled her eyes. "If it's from you, he'll love it," she said.

"Ya think so?"

"I know so."

He thought for a moment. There was that shop near the end of the market that commissioned metal work. Maybe he could add a bit of his own flare to it, make it more personal. Suddenly, Renji had an idea.

* * *

A few days later, on Byakuya's birthday, Renji stood outside the sixth division office, absently picking at the pale green ribbon he had roughly tied around a carefully wrapped box. He was still unsure whether or not his cold captain would like the gift. It wasn't particularly extravagant, but Renji had taken Rukia's advice and got the steel-eyed noble something from the heart.

"Renji? Do you plan on standing in that spot until you take root?" Byakuya's stern voice said from behind the door. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Renji slid the door open and strode over to his raven-haired captain's desk. As usual, Byakuya sat with a brush in hand, delicately moving it across the many papers neatly stacked in piles on his work space.

"H-happy Birthday, Taichou," Renji said nervously, offering the small gift in his palms. Byakuya stopped what he was doing to absently stare first at the gift wrapped in white paper, then at his subordinate and back. Renji swallowed audibly.

The steel-eyed captain gently took the proffered gift, slowly untying the green ribbon and tearing away the pale paper. The stoic noble's eyes went wide for barely a fraction of a second as he gazed into the box.

Byakuya reached his hand in a pulled out a small yet intricate pewter tree. Thin wires wound around themselves to create the trunk, separating to form the branches. Placed at the ends of each branch was a tiny drop of rose quartz to give the effect of sakura petals. The tree in itself was beautiful, but it was the tiny baboon resting at its trunk and the snake coiled around its branches, both carved crudely out of wood, that made Byakuya's usually cold lips smile warmly.

The icy noble gently placed the little trinket on the edge of his desk before picking up the ribbon from the wrappings and standing to occupy the space directly behind his lieutenant. Renji held still while Byakuya deftly removed his hair tie, allowing most of those crimson tresses to fall down his shoulders. The older man then pulled half of the volatile lieutenant's hair into a braid, tying the end with the length of ribbon.

"What's this for?" Renji asked, eyes a bit wide in confusion as he examined his hair.

Byakuya moved to face the younger man, placing a cool hand on his cheek. "As much as I love your present, Renji," Byakuya said softly, a smile in his eyes. "I'm happy with just having you for my gift this year." He closed the distance between them, pushing a chaste kiss on his lieutenant's lips. Renji slid his arms around the thin noble's body, wanting him to be as close as he could to inhale that sweet scent of sakura blossoms that he loved so much. The small kiss soon turned into a dance of tongues and caressing touches, hands roaming and heating the skin that it brushed against, until both had to pull away to breathe.

"So," Renji smirked mischievously, nuzzling his face into the raven locks of the man he held in his arms, "When do ya wanna unwrap your gift?"

"Oh," Byakuya said, running his hands down Renji's spine, causing the wild lieutenant to shudder, "I suppose we can take the rest of the day off so that I may do just that."


	2. Simply Perfect

**A/N: This is a bit overdue. I had planned to get this out on Renji's birthday, but I got a little busy, sooooooooo Happy Belated Birthday Renji! Also, you'll notice that I am adding this as the second chapter of a story I had already written for Byakuya's birthday. As such, I changed the main title of the story and rewrote a few things in the first chapter that I was unhappy with. Derp. If you skipped the first chapter because you realized that you've already read it, I suggest you read it again, at least to notice the few changes I made. XD Don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. tite Kubo does. I just toy with the characters a bit.**

Byakuya Kuchiki sat up in bed, watching as the rays from the sun slowly inched their way across the floor. It felt odd, allowing himself to remain beneath his covers hours after the sun had risen. The chill of the dawn air had already passed, and he knew that noon was starting to creep up on him.

"Lord Kuchiki?" a female voice followed by a light knock at the door drew Byakuya's attention from the morning light.

"You may enter."

A slight servant walked inside, carrying a tray covered with various snacks and freshly brewed tea. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I thought that you may want something for breakfast."

"Thank you, Fuu. You may place it on my end table and be dismissed."

The servant did as she was told, pausing before leaving to enquire whether or not the noble would be rising before lunch.

"I think," Byakuya replied, the slightest upward twitch beginning to tug at his lips, "That today will be what you may call a 'lazy day'. Do not expect me for a while."

"Of course, sir," Fuu smiled knowingly. "I'll notify the other staff not to disturb you."

The sixth division captain nodded, reaching for a cup of tea as he heard the door close softly. There was work to be done in the office to be sure, but Byakuya had already notified his third and fourth seats that they would have to take over for the day. He had more important things to take care of.

"Mmm. . ."

"Good morning, Renji," Byakuya addressed the groggy lump sprawled out beside him.

"Taichou?" Renji blinked sleepily, looking first at the window and then back at Byakuya, a look of confusion on his face. "Why're ya still here? What time is it?"

"Almost noon," the raven-haired shinigami answered, handing the redhead a cup of tea. "I decided that we should take the day off."

Renji accepted the tea, sitting up to take a small sip. "Why?"

"Have you forgotten what day it is?" Byakuya frowned, reaching below the end table and pulling out a long, deftly wrapped box and handing it to the shocked man in bed beside him.

"Wait, is today. . ." the fiery shinigami paused, thinking back to the last time he had checked the date.

"Happy birthday, Renji," the Kuchiki noble spoke gently, placing a small kiss on Renji's cheek, and causing him to blush in embarrassment. How could he have forgotten his own birthday?

The box felt a bit heavy in his hands, so the tattooed lieutenant quickly tore away the paper and glanced at what was inside. Byakuya chuckled softly when Renji's eyes widened and his mouth formed the shape of a small "oh".

"I had it made custom for you," the noble explained, reaching into the box and pulling out a beautifully carved wooden sword stand. Jagged symbols were carved deep into the wood resembling the ink that Zabimaru had placed all over the lieutenant's body. A deeper blush began to heat Renji's cheeks as he realized how accurate the markings were, indicating that Byakuya had every inch of his body memorized.

"I also saw fit to add a little piece of me," Byakuya continued, turning the stand over in his hands to point out a small clustered etching of sakura petals dancing in tiny swirls. Renji ran his fingertips across the image, noting how the marks were thinner and more precise than the rest of the piece. _Did he do this with Senbonzakura?_

"Do you like it?"

The tanned shinigami nodded, gingerly taking the beautiful stand and setting it aside before reaching into a bedside drawer. Byakuya raised an amused brow when Renji pulled out a familiar light green ribbon.

"Is that. . ." the pale captain's words were silenced with a sweet, lingering kiss as the larger man tied the ribbon around Byakuya's thin wrist.

"It's perfect," Renji murmured, taking the older man's hand and pushing his lips against those lovely fingers. "Just like you."

Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but was instantly distracted by calloused, wandering hands and hungry lips invading the folds of his yukata.

As the lithe shinigami gave in to Renji's expert touches, sinking into the pillows and arching his back whenever those fingers ran across certain areas, something sparkled in the corner of his eye. On the other side of the room, finally catching the early afternoon light, sat a delicate looking pewter tree. The drops of quartz shone as if they were set mere days ago and its rough, wood carvings gleamed as if newly polished.

A smile crept onto Byakuya's lips for a moment before being replaced with a soft gasp as Renji found another one of those sensitive spots.

"Thank you, Byakuya, for givin' me the perfect birthday," Renji whispered, following his words with more sweet kisses.

Byakuya chose not to speak, and instead, pulled the redhead closer so that he may sink into every inch of tattooed skin, breathing in exotic scents of spice and cinnamon. _Perfect_, he thought as those sinful lips brushed against his own, _Simply perfect._


End file.
